LIVE: It’s time for Falcons to show that ‘explosiveness’
Do the Falcons have their game faces on? I can't tell from here.
CHICAGO — Hey, anybody else realize the Falcons open the season today?
It has been a strange offseason, what with the NFL lockout, postponed free agency, and relatively limited practice time. The Falcons have been somewhat lost on the Atlanta sports landscape, particularly with college football starting last week.
But today, we begin to find out what this team is: a Super Bowl contender (as it seemed to show during a 13-3 regular season last year), or a team that’s not quite at that elite level yet (as it showed in the lopsided home playoff loss to Green Bay last January).
Sports Illustrated has tabbed linebacker Curtis Lofton and the Falcons to win the Super Bowl this season.
All we heard from general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith following the loss to the Packers was how this team needed more explosiveness, and they seem to have added that on both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Julio Jones is a game-breaker. If he doesn’t steer some of the defensive attention away from Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez in the passing game, that means he is being left one-on-one. That would be fine with quarterback Matt Ryan, as he, Smith and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey spent much of training camp and exhibitions trying to quickly implement Jones into the offense.
Edwards also should have an impact. The Falcons were shredded by Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs. The fact the Packers went on to win the Super Bowl and made New Orleans’ defense look silly Thursday night might soften the blow a bit. But the fact remains that the
It's not always this nice in Chicago.
team needed to improve its pass rush.
Edwards is not a sack machine. But he is a terrific all-round end who should fit well into the Falcons’ scheme and take some of the onus off of John Abraham. The Bears finished 30th in the NFL in offense last season but should be improved in the second season under coordinator Mike Martz.
Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler can be a knucklehead, but he’s a talented knucklehead. If the Falcons don’t get pressure on him and let him get into a rhythm, they the Bears will move the ball.
One final thing: The weather is absolutely gorgeous — about 70 degrees and sunny with a breeze. If this game was being held in December during a typically miserable Chicago winter, it would play more to the defense. So the Falcons, with more offensive weapons, should have an advantage.
That’s it for now. What are your thoughts on the Falcons today and this season. If you missed it, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King has tabbed them as Super Bowl champions. Falcons owner Arthur Blank wouldn’t have a problem with that.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,926 comments Add your comment
mmgtfan
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
GET DECOUD OUT!!!!!!!!!!! HE LOOKS LIKE A RETARD CATCHING THE BALL!!!!
80sFalcons
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
Keep getting to Cutler and he’ll get happy feet.
Falconanvickfan
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
Put in sanders already
mountain_jim
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
decoud – terrible ball skills
JSS
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
DeCoud! That’s Ledbetter’s All-Pro for ya!
Chicken Farmer
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
I see no difference in this year’s offence over last year’s. Our receivers always have at least one defender in their back pocket if not two! Chicago’s receivers are wide a$$ open on any given pass play. Our ground game is run right at the biggest wad of defensive players we can see! Waht about all the hype about coming out strong with our new offensive weapons? Gona be another disappointing year if things don’t change fast.
DHunt
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
The Falcons are missing so many opportunities….
oldfart
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
Sure are a lot of nattering nabobs of negativity 1 quarter into the first game.
Mr Charlie
September 11th, 2011
1:56 pm
No only did he not catch it, he booted it in the air to give Chicago a chance at it.
Athens Dawg
September 11th, 2011
1:57 pm
We suck but we’re down 10-3? Some people you just can’t satisfy. Did anybody say the Saints sucked when they were down 14-0 to GB on Thursday? I don’t think so. Did anybody say the Eagles sucked when they were down 7-0 to St. Louis?
Pathetic
September 11th, 2011
1:57 pm
3 sacks and about to be down 14 points. That is great!! Their tight ends and receivers run around open all day and we here how we have all tehse speedsters and they can’t get open? This team and it’s coaches are a joke. 6 wins tops.
Season Ticker Holder
September 11th, 2011
1:57 pm
@Bonez. the falcons O-line can’t block lone enough for Ryan to throw deep.
O'Brien
September 11th, 2011
1:57 pm
2 missed int by decoud already
Bonez
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
I told y’all that Mularkey is Horrible
He is sooooo prdictable
TylerThe Creator
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
SMH Catch the baaaaaaaaaaaaaall
Lombardi
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
They look wimpy.
Pathetic
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
10-1 says they complete a pass for a td here. Our guys stand around watching while their secondary covers
bigdave
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
im all for moving Willy Mo to FS and seeing plugging James Sanders in at SS
cb795
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
When is the Super Bowl team going to start playing? I guess they think it is still preseason. Four years under Coach Smith they can’t stop a third down conversion. the trend continues.
JSS
September 11th, 2011
1:58 pm
“Get happt feet?” Cutler is happy feet!
Exposive Explosion
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
….. 13-3 ….. Da Damn Bears !
sid
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
when do they play the Colts?
bigdave
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
good hold d
Jeff Schultz
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Falcons fortunate Bears only come up with 3 there.
AtlantaSuck
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Atleast the run defense look good
JSS
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Cutler stinks!!!
WitStream
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Honestly, if you can’t implement an “ignore user” function on this blog, it’s really pointless for any thoughtful, intelligent fan to hang out here. This is an embarrassment.
Far_East
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Nice stop…now we better show that explosiveness that everybody is talking about
Mr Charlie
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Old Fart, lol
Pathetic
September 11th, 2011
1:59 pm
Can we get a new secondary coach and off coordinator. Even the announcers are asking why aren’t we throwing it downfield??? What’s the point in drafting up if we don’t throw to them? tired of this boring 2 yard pass, 3 yard run, incomplete pass and punt routine.
Athens Dawg
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
Our pass rush looks good. Our secondary is playing ok believe it or not. It’s our offense that needs to get it going, particularly our O-line. We are missing McClure that’s for sure.
Bonez
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
SMH @ our “Explosive” Offense
drmaryb .(*_*).
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
De Ja Vu!
13 – 3 Chicago! Looks like our last season win total hugh?
Mr Charlie
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
We do not need to show “explosiveness”, we need to score. My god you guys are idiots.
old dawg fan
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
This Falcons game reminds me of watching the Bulldogs.
Poor play, poor tackling and turnovers.
I am getting sick of watching football already.
JSS
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
They play the colts in the mid season in Indy…
AtlantaSuck
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
BVG needs to go back to UGA. Since he been the DC for the Falcons this defense has sucked. He is not an NFL DC, but was amazing in college
Buzz Aldrin
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
80 yard touchdown pass on the first play…you heard it here first.
groundfog
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
Thomas Decoud is a joke. Dimitroff is no genius..just look at this secondary.
J.J.M.
September 11th, 2011
2:00 pm
I our o line that bad we cant take a deep shot?
Athens Dawg
September 11th, 2011
2:01 pm
We have shut down their run game. I mean SHUT DOWN. The Bears aren’t even trying to run anymore we’ve stopped it so bad.
Buzz Aldrin
September 11th, 2011
2:01 pm
Make that 85…
JSS
September 11th, 2011
2:01 pm
Ohhhhhhhhhh, Weeeeee-ems ouch!!!
Mr Charlie
September 11th, 2011
2:02 pm
We have sack cutler 3 times in a quarter. by the 4th, he will be tossing the ball up with 2 and running backwards.
drmaryb .(*_*).
September 11th, 2011
2:02 pm
Stone Hands DeCoud
groundfog
September 11th, 2011
2:02 pm
Ryan looks just like last year..dink and dunk..scared to throw it downfield
WitStream
September 11th, 2011
2:02 pm
My imitation of most of the idiots here:
Weems ran that out? He’s not an NFL-level player. Waive him tomorrow please!
JSS
September 11th, 2011
2:02 pm
Ohhhh, that hurt!
J.J.M.
September 11th, 2011
2:03 pm
exactly@groundfog
Ted
September 11th, 2011
2:03 pm
Did Eric Weems check not go through?